Physiotherapists
High opportunity occupation
Career Overview
Physiotherapists plan and put treatment programs in place to maintain, improve or rebuild physical ability, ease pain and prevent physical problems for patients.
Physiotherapists need a deep understanding of how the body works as well as the causes, prevention and treatment of injury and disease. They must pay attention to details and be skilled in looking at a situation from all sides in order to make safe and effective decisions about patient care. A person with this job also needs to have leadership and teamwork skills to work well with other healthcare providers.
Job Titles
Duties
In general, physiotherapists:
- Understand a patient’s physical abilities by reviewing the patient’s history, testing their physical abilities and measuring their progress in getting better
- Develop treatment goals based on diagnosis with the patient or the patient's family
- Set up programs such as exercise, electrotherapy or education based on the patient’s needs and abilities
- Review results to track patient improvement or to change treatment
- Communicate with health-care professionals and team members about a patient’s needs
- Keep detailed records of a patient's treatment and progress
- Do research in physiotherapy and related areas
- Develop physical health promotion programs and screening tools
- Provide education and consulting services to the public and other health-care professionals
In some public practices such as acute care, there is a trend towards those in this career offering discharge planning: making sure the patient leaves the hospital safely, facilitating a smooth process and that they get the right care afterwards.
The move toward sending patients home earlier impacts private practice physiotherapy. Clinics are now providing patients with sub-acute care after joint replacement surgeries as well as treating neurological conditions that were previously handled through inpatient or outpatient services.
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
4,290% Employed Full Time
42%Physiotherapists practice in a range of public sector and private settings, including hospitals, private clinics, home care, child-development centres, extended-care facilities, in academics and administration, and health-planning agencies. People in this career often work as part of a health-care team, but do many other duties on their own. Many physiotherapists in Canada have their own private clinics and may provide home care.
Full-time physiotherapists who work in the public sector typically work a 36-hour week. Evening and weekend work may be required. Those in private practice usually work 36-50 hours per week. Some jobs, especially in rural regions and in-home care, may require travel.
Recently, there have been large increases in home care, both publicly and privately funded. This is due to the increase in releasing acute patients from hospitals. There has also been an increase in the number of private physiotherapy practices over the past 10 years.
People in this job may use electrophysical agents such as ultrasound, laser and electrical stimulation devices. Possible health risks that come from the use of these devices (for both patient and operator) can be managed by using the devices properly and following the right process in treatment.
In most work settings, a physiotherapist will lift, bend and walk often. They also use their hands and upper body during patient treatment. Risk of injury that comes with these tasks may be managed by making sure that the treatment is done properly and by using special devices that help with moving patients.
Job satisfaction among physiotherapists is high. There are many opportunities to travel and work around the world, and to work in a variety of settings with flexible schedules.
Career Pathways
Physiotherapists often choose to combine work and travel early in their career. An example of this would be working with travelling sports teams. New graduates often work in a range of settings, which allows them to decide on their area of special interest prior to taking a full-time position.
By continuing professional development, physical therapists can move into specialized areas that target specific groups or issues. Geriatrics, orthopedics, burns, pediatrics and neurology are some examples of these fields of practice.
Physiotherapists are known for continuing their education and training through professional development courses. With more than 30 areas of specialization, there are many paths to follow. Most private practice physiotherapists begin by working in clinics as associates and may become owners of clinics later in their careers as they develop clinical and business expertise.
Occupational Interests
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For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
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Education, Training and Skills
The minimum entry-level education for B.C. physiotherapists to practise is a Master of Physical Therapy degree.
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is the only post-secondary school in the province that currently offers this degree. UBC also offers a PhD program for those who would like to do more research in rehabilitation sciences. For more information on these programs visit the UBC Department of Physical Therapy website at https://physicaltherapy.med.ubc.ca/
In order to practice in B.C., physiotherapists must be registered with the College of Physical Therapists of British Columbia (CPTBC).
Most private clinics want new graduates who have had some experience in the public system. This is so they will be comfortable in dealing with acute patients and they will have learned under the direction of senior professionals who work in hospital physiotherapy departments. Most public practice settings offer casual or part-time positions only, and it may take over a year for the new graduate to get a full-time position.
It is recommended that physiotherapists complete advanced training in areas of interest after graduation. There are over 30 different areas of specialization in a physiotherapy career. The Canadian Physiotherapy Association and other recognized leaders in the field offer a range of courses.
Education programs in B.C.
Top Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
4,290Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 90 | 2.1% |
| Kootenay | 160 | 3.7% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 2,685 | 62.6% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 45 | 1.0% |
| Northeast | 15 | 0.3% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 520 | 12.1% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 770 | 17.9% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2024-2034)
2,080Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2024-2034)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 40 | 1.3% |
| Kootenay | 70 | 1.2% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 1,290 | 1.9% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 20 | 0.9% |
| Northeast | 10 | -0.1% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 250 | 1.5% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 410 | 2.5% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2024-2034) |
|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 2,050 |
| Educational Services | 10 |
| Repair, Personal and Non-Profit Services | 10 |
| Information, Culture and Recreation | 10 |
Insights from Industry
A growing and aging population will need more health services, which will mean a greater demand for physiotherapists. Demand for people in this career will also increase as more people make their health a priority.
Job openings will occur as a result of retiring workers. Industry sources report that the number of new graduates will not meet the current and future needs for employment as physiotherapists retire. B.C. relies on graduates from other provinces and countries to meet this need.
While there are not enough physiotherapists throughout the province, job vacancies in the northern regions, in the Lower Mainland and some areas on Vancouver Island are generally harder to fill. For employers in areas that have a harder time attracting people in this job, the B.C. provincial government has offered loan forgiveness programs to physiotherapist graduates who choose to work in these regions.
For more details on this program, visit the StudentAid BC website at: https://studentaidbc.ca/repay/repayment-help/bc-loan-forgiveness-program
The services provided by physiotherapists keep changing due to new information, technology, service demands and settings. New technology and information may result in workers taking on more specialized roles. This will also influence educational requirements, as additional training will be needed.
Resources
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B.C. Ministry of Healthwww.gov.bc.ca/health
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Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA)www.physiotherapy.ca
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College of Physical Therapists of British Columbia (CPTBC)www.cptbc.org
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Fraser Healthwww.fraserhealth.ca/
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Health Match BCwww.healthmatchbc.org/
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Interior Health – Jobsjobs.interiorhealth.ca/
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Island Healthwww.islandhealth.ca/
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Northern Health – Careerscareers.northernhealth.ca/
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Physiotherapy Association of British Columbiabcphysio.org
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Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) – Jobsjobs.phsa.ca/
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The University of British Columbia Department of Physical Therapywww.physicaltherapy.med.ubc.ca
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Therapy BCwww.therapybc.ca
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Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH)www.vch.ca/
Career Videos
Watch the video below to see what a day in the life of a physiotherapist is like.
Watch the video below to see what a day in the life of a physiotherapist is like.
